Puzzle 113
Each of these words has had its vowels (AEIOU) removed.
Can you re-add the vowels and find the related words?
cbbg
clflwr
ccmbr
crgtt
crrt
clrc
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The words are all vegetables.
Answers
cbbg = cabbage
clflwr = cauliflower
ccmbr = cucumber
crgtt = courgette
crrt = carrot
clrc = celeriac
Puzzle 114
In the following sum, the digits 0 to 9 have all been used, and the top row's digits add to 9.
Knowing that O = Odd, and E = Even (zero is even), can you determine each digit?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The answer is 4 digits long, so what must G equal?
Answer
423 + 675 = 1098.
Reasoning
Remembering that:
even + even = even
odd + odd = even
even + odd = odd
To discuss individual letters, it's easiest to represent the sum as:
A B C
D E F +
————————
G H I J
A + D has to be over 9, which means that G = 1.
B + E = I, is even + odd = odd, which means that we can't have a carry from C + F (otherwise it would have been even + odd + 1, which is even).
The 1 has already gone, so the smallest possible value for either C or F is 3, which means that the other can't be 7 or 9 (otherwise we'd have a carry).
Therefore, C and F are 3 and 5, but we don't know which is which. But we do now know that J = 8.
A + D = H, is even + even = even, which means that we can't have a carry from B + E. Therefore, E can't be 9, as this would force a carry. So E = 7.
I is the only remaining odd number, so I = 9.
Which means that B = 2.
Neither A nor D can be 0 (otherwise we would have two of the same digit). So, H = 0.
Therefore, A and D are 4 and 6 (but we don't yet know which is which).
Since the top row's digits have to add to 9, A can't be 6, so A = 4, making C = 3.
This makes the sum 423 + 675 = 1098.
Puzzle 115
Billy has twice as many sisters as brothers.
His sister, Frankie, has one more sister than she has brothers.
How many boys and girls are there in the family?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The answer isn't very large at all.
Answer
There are four boys and six girls in the family.
If there were B boys, and G girls we know that Billy has twice as many sisters as brothers, so 2 x (b - 1) = g.
And his sister, Frankie, has one more sister than she has brothers, so g - 1 = b + 1.
2(b - 1) = g [1]
g - 1 = b + 1 [2]
Using [1] in [2] gives:
2(b - 1) - 1 = b + 1
Expanding the bracket gives:
2b - 2 - 1 = b + 1
Simplifying the left hand side gives:
2b - 3 = b + 1
Add 3 to each side gives:
2b = b + 4
Subtract b from both sides gives:
b = 4
Using b = 4 in [1] gives:
2(4 - 1) = g
6 = g
Puzzle 116
What is the smallest integer which...
...when multiplied by 3 gives a number consisting of only 4's?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Try working backwards.
Answer
148.
Reasoning
A number that is divisible by 3 has digits that add up to a number that is also divisible by 3 (for example, 123 is divisible by 3).
So we can look for the first number where 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + ... is divisible by 3, which is 4 + 4 + 4, and 444 ÷ 3 = 148.
Alternative Reasoning
Let's try the possible answers in order:
4 ÷ 3 = 1.3333
44 ÷ 3 = 14.6666
444 ÷ 3 = 148
Double-Checking
148 x 3 = 444.
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